New bio compatible probes are proposed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 19F based probes will be prepared that are more suitable than existing products for rapid and sensitive oxygen mapping using 19F MRI. These probes will be employed to assess in a model system the viability, metabolic rate and oxygen consumption rates of rat INS-1 cells as surrogates of human is lets for potential applications in diabetes therapy. Preliminary data from pilot studies indicate that these new probes are promising and constitute a viable approach for improved cell viability control.